Fourteen-year-old Waikato driver Miles Baker has been crowned the winner of the 2026 Tony Quinn Foundation GR86 Shootout at Hampton Downs, earning a $54,000 support package towards the upcoming Bridgestone GR86 Championship, while fellow finalist Nieko Scoles will also receive $20,000 in support.
With so little separating the pair across the day, the Foundation decided to extend its support beyond the single $54,000 package originally on offer, with Baker securing the top prize and Scoles receiving a further $20,000 towards his own GR86 Championship campaign.
Baker and Scoles were joined by Palmerston North’s Blake Dowdall and Waikato’s Riley Boswell for the sixth running of the Shootout, with all four put through a full day of assessment both on and off the track.
Tony Quinn Foundation Trustee and Chief Instructor of the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy Daniel Gaunt said the strength of this year’s four made reaching a final decision far from straightforward.
“We’ve got a great crop of young drivers in New Zealand, and it makes us proud as a Foundation to have such a strong group to select from,” Gaunt said.
“It also makes the decision very difficult when they’re all doing such a good job. They’re four fine young gentlemen and they should all be proud of how they performed today.”
Throughout the day, the four were assessed by a panel of trustees made up of Tony Quinn, Josie Spillane, Steve Horne and Gaunt, with their time behind the wheel complemented by a series of off-track assessments.
For Quinn, that broader approach is an important part of finding the right driver to support.
“People think it’s all about driving a race car fast, and all the guys are good at that. You know, there may be a tenth or a hundredth between them. They’re all very, very good.
“But I’m more interested in their life skills and how they’re going to cope with the disappointments and the challenges of raising funds, and then delivering back to the sponsors that they get the funds from. They’ve got to learn all of those skills in order to be a successful race car driver or have a career in motorsport.”
For Baker, the result marks another major step in what has been a rapid first year in circuit racing. The 14-year-old moved from karts into the Toyota 86 Trophy Series midway through 2026, but quickly found his feet with a podium on debut before earning his place among the four Shootout finalists.
Now, just months into that transition, Baker has secured the Foundation’s backing to take the next step into the Bridgestone GR86 Championship.
“I’m really stoked. It’s still sinking in, but I’m really happy,” Baker said.
“It’s so cool to be linking up with TQF. It’s not just the support, but the sort of people you’re around as well, and that goes a long way for sure.
“I’m super excited for what’s to come with them, and a big thanks to everyone involved today. It was a really great day.”
Scoles also leaves Hampton Downs with plenty to look forward to after his performance earned an additional $20,000 commitment from the Foundation.
The Invercargill teenager has already built considerable experience aboard a Toyota 86 since moving into circuit racing at just 13, culminating in a successful 2026 campaign that saw him become Toyota 86 Winter Series Champion and finish runner-up in the Toyota 86 Trophy Series.
The Bridgestone GR86 Championship now represents the natural next step in that progression, with the Foundation’s additional support helping Scoles graduate into the category for the 2026/27 season.
“I was pretty speechless. I couldn’t believe it,” Scoles said.
“A big thank you to the whole TQF team for the support. It must have been pretty close for them to add another $20,000, so I’m incredibly grateful.”
Baker now adds his name to a growing list of Shootout winners, becoming the sixth recipient after Matthew McCutcheon, William Exton, Jackson Rooney, Chris White Jr and Lucas McGill.
Since its establishment in 2021, the Tony Quinn Foundation has invested more than $3 million into New Zealand motorsport, supporting drivers across a range of categories both at home and overseas.
The focus now turns to the opening round of the 2026/27 Bridgestone GR86 Championship at Taupo International Motorsport Park on November 13–15, where Baker and Scoles will begin the next chapter of their respective campaigns as the Repco NextGen NZ Championship gets underway for the new season.
Header Image: Supplied
